Agenda - 03-03-2009 - 6a - Laserfiche WebLink

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18 Challenges As the demand for service continues to grow,and the availability of volunteers to provide coverage in the fire districts declines,increased supplemental paid assistance to provide coverage during peak hours continues to emerge as a solution of choice. This method enables departments to cope with the growing demands. However,while individual departments provide for the hiring of personnel, disparities may arise between departments in the benefits and salaries provided. Many departments face financial constraints that preclude their taking on added responsibilities such as retirement and workers'compensation associated with employees. As Orange County continues to grow and face the challenges of tomorrow,it is imperative to improve on our abilities to provide the best emergency services to our overall community. We must collectively look beyond"the way we've always done it"and expand our capabilities across and between service districts to address the demands of a progressive public safety system. In several meetings I have had with the administrative and operational officers of some of the fire and rescue departments,some departments have been very receptive to the notion of an integrated approach to providing the best emergency services to County residents. Others have expressed understandable concerns about the potential that their agencies may play diminished roles in providing countywide services. With multiple agencies providing similar services(such as light vehicle extrication)in some cases,there are legitimate concerns about balancing the need for adequate amounts of readily available,widely deployed,specialty tools with the interest of ensuring that scarce tax dollars are not expended unnecessarily on duplication of services or equipment. I believe there is a clear need for a cooperative effort among volunteer agencies,the County,and municipal departments to determine a standard that would identify what tools and equipment should be purchased,by which departments, so as to ensure compatibility of equipment and training across agencies. In a recent conversation I had with the president of the Chiefs' Council,he identified the following as needs for volunteer agencies: 1) Face to face interaction with a representative of the Board of Commissioners; 2) A training facility in the central part of the County(I note here that House Bill 1655, sponsored by Representatives Faison, Hackney, and Insko has since been introduced and if approved, would earmark$1,344,000 to acquire land and construct a regional fire training facility in Orange County;) 3) Input in fire protection needs for future growth and subdivision development; 4) Additional fire marshal staff to assist with fire insurance ratings of the fire departments, granting, and County fire administrative issues; and 5) Representation from the Chiefs'Council on the communication upgrading project. Opportunities I have prepared a group of slides(provided separately as an attachment for this agenda item)that outlines some of the support that is currently available at the federal,state, and county level to assist our volunteer agencies stretch their resources. In recent years,County staff have tried to improve assistance to various fire and rescue agencies in areas of training coordination,incident reporting,and contracting and purchasing, among others. However,with the full participation and cooperation of the volunteer departments,there may be other things the County can do to assist the volunteer fire and rescue agencies to provide the best possible service in the most cost